I love my Kindle, but apparently I should feel guilty about it

This article from the Christian Science Monitor has some good points (and raises some serious concerns) about Amazon's model of Kindle and e-book usage. http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0318/p09s01-coop.html

And I agree with almost all the points they make... but that doesn't mean I am going to give up my Kindle. At least not until something better comes along. Even if it does mean I'm a bad librarian... I guess I'll just have to live with the guilt. Now please excuse me, I have to go download another sample chapter from Amazon, spawn of the devil and bane of the e-publishing industry.

Why We Make Mistakes, by Joseph T. Hallinan

I enjoy reading books about human psychology, behavioral economics and the like. I will read anything by Malcolm Gladwell, I adored Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely, and I have read lots of other books with titles such as Nudge and Sway. What I liked about Hallinan's book, Why We Make Mistakes, is that it gives a great overview of the whole genre of books like this. You can get a real feel for how people actually think and behave (vs. how we THINK we think and behave) from this quick and easy read. Hallinan has clearly done his homework and his research, but he never makes things dry or boring. I was really interested and engaged throughout the whole book. I highly recommend this book!

No! I don't Want to Join a Book Club: Diary of a 60th Year by Virginia Ironside

Absolutely *loved* this book. Funny, insightful - made me laugh out loud, made me really think about things. I really hope this author writes either a sequel, or another book. I enjoyed her perspective on things.

Reading Time Magazine on my Kindle

The other night the newsstand was closed when I wanted to buy Time so I could catch up on the post-inauguration news. So I downloaded a copy of the latest Time magazine to my Kindle for 99 cents. After reading it, I can now say that I do not like reading magazines on my Kindle.   First of all, what's up with the no pictures? (Though, to be fair, the Kindle can't really handle graphics that well.)   Second, the order of articles in the Kindle version of the magazine was totally different from the way the "paper" copy of the magazine is put together. A person gets used to seeing the Milestones section at the front of the magazine, not randomly when I'm 3/4 through the thing, thank you very much.   Third, I guess the way I read magazines is very different from how I read books. I am a skimmer, and in fact I often read magazines from the back to the front. The Kindle doesn't really lend itself to skimming all that well. And the tactile pleasure I get from holding a magazine and flipping through the pages and seeing all the shiny pictures (fine, yes, I admit it, I like the pictures. I'm shallow. Sue me) was just not there on the Kindle.   So no more magazines on the Kindle for me... but I did just download the fourth book in the Kitty Norville series. And... I just heard they are planning to maybe release a Kindle 2.0 into the wild within the next few weeks. I wonder how different it will be. I wonder if it will be better. I wonder if they will give me a discount on it because I already own one. I wonder if it will handle magazines better! I can't wait to see it. I fear I am turning into a bit of a Kindle slut.

What I've been reading lately

Presentation Zen by Garr Reynolds - a fantastic book with lots of great tips on how to avoid putting your audience through PowerPoint hell. Too bad it doesn't talk about what to do when you are part of the audience when someone ELSE is presenting a PowerPoint from Hell... wondering whether you will ever get this hour of your life back. Highly recommended - lots to think about, and divided into easily digestible chunks of ideas.   The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan - a memoir from the NY Times Bestseller List. I read it on my Kindle. Interesting and engaging, but I wouldn't go out of my way to buy another one of her books. I did love her portrayal of her dad, though.   The Associate by John Grisham -- this latest Grisham didn't really grip me, and I got bored halfway through and stopped reading. I just didn't find the characters engaging or interesting enough.   What I DId For Love by Susan Elizabeth Phillips --  very satisfying romance novel. I do like this author quite a lot.   The Dogs of Bedlam Farm - a memoir by Jon Katz. I always enjoy his writing.   Kitty Takes a Holiday by Carrie Vaughn - the third book in the Kitty Norville series. Very satisfying. I enjoy the series quite a lot. If you're into werewolves who are also radio talk hosts (and really, isn't everyone?) then you'll like it too.

Daemon by Daniel Suarez

Good techno-thriller, hard to put down and exciting. Note to self; do not read this kind of book before bedtime anymore. Had awful nightmares!

The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory (re-read)

I had read this book a couple of years ago and enjoyed it (always have liked things written about that era in English history, for some reason). The other day my friend Trisha and I watched the movie that was recently made. About the best I can say about it is "Boy, were the people and the costumes pretty." Even if I hadn't read the book, I'd have thought the story was choppy and would not have been committed to the characters. So, I thought I'd re-read the book again. And it was still good. My favorite books by Philippa Gregory are this one and her most recent one, The Virgin Queen I think it was called. I've read some of her others and they just haven't grabbed me.   Anyone who is a fan of Philippa Gregory might also like Dark Angels by Karleen Koen, another really good historical fiction read about an intrepid girl trying to survive the courtly intrigue of an English king's court.

What I've been reading

I've been bad about recording what I've read lately. And of course now I can't remember half of it. But here are some highlights:   The Naked Mole Rat Letters by Mary Amato  (a kid's book - maybe for 5th thru 7th grade - very good)   I read just enough of Warriors: Into The Wild by Erin Hunter to understand what the craze among fifth through eighth graders is about, but I've never been that big of a fan of books like that (except Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert O'Brien - that one was awesome).   Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick -- Ms. L, the librarian at Central School, recommended this to me and I loved it!   What Were They Thinking?: Crisis Communication -- the Good, the Bad, and the Totally Clueless by Steve Adubato -- a great read, fascinating and I learned a lot.   I reread Mistborn: The Final Empire and The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson. Got halfway through rereading the third book, Hero of Ages, before I got distracted. I'll probably go back to it again at some point.   I also reread Memory by Lois McMaster Bujold, one of my all-time favorites.   Just now I've finished Kitty and the Midnight Hour and Kitty Goes to Washington by Carrie Vaughn -- two very good books about a radio host/werewolf. I really like the characters and the way it's written. It reminds me of the style of writing of Tanya Huff's Blood series (Blood Price being the first one).   Here's the sad thing, I know there were a BUNCH of other books that I've read since the last time I posted, but dang if I can remember them. Oh well.   Oh, and I can also report that the more I use my Kindle, the more I dislike holding an "actual" book in my hands. Mass-market paperbacks are too hard to hold open with one hand unless you are vicious and break the spine, and large hardcovers tend to be too heavy for me to hold comfortably (what can I say, I have small hands). So.... you can have my Kindle when you pry it from my cold, dead hands! I reread

Books I've read lately

Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher  - an enjoyable and interesting, frothy and funny memoir   Double Identity by Margaret Peterson Haddix - (teen) - recommended to me by a 7th grader at Lunch in the Library with Ms. Lommel last week. Fantastic book! I couldn't put it down. The next day I foisted it onto another person who I know will enjoy it.   Warriors: Into the Wild by Erin Hunter (kids/teen) - also recommended at Lunch in the Library. I read enough of it to get a feel for it, but for some reason I've never been a big fan of books written from the perspective of animals (Watership Down, the Redwall series, etc) -- except maybe for Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. So I stopped reading it. But the writing was good and I could see why all the kids love it.   The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (teen) -- WOW. Amazing book, unputdownable. The first in a trilogy. Now I have to wait for the others. Meanwhile I plan to go to the library on Monday and check out the first one in Collins' series for younger kids, the Gregor series. How have I missed this author??   Black and White and Dead All Over by John Darnton -- thanks to Pat D for the recommendation. I enjoyed this interesting, well-written mystery -- and learned a lot about the newspaper publishing business along the way.

Looking for something to read?

My favorite book review magazine, Bookmarks, is tracking the top 10 book lists from magazines and newspapers across the country. Browse their selection at http://www.bookmarksmagazine.com/taxonomy/term/696%2C736

Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin

I have been meaning to read this history of Abraham Lincoln's rise to the presidency, and his presidency during the Civil War, since it came out in 2005. I finally managed to do it! It took me about 3 weeks but it was well worth it. It was a fantastic, interesting, wonderful book that made history come alive for me.

Recent books read

Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. Extremely interesting. This man could describe watching paint dry and I'd read him. This book talks about how we think about success, and how factors that we haven't even considered also play into whether someone will be a success or not. I couldn't put it down. Fascinating.   Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron and Bret Witter. A very heartwarming read, and enjoyable. Warning: ending is sad.   A Supremely Bad Idea: Three Mad Birders and their Quest to See It All by Luke Dempsey. At the beginning of the book there was a nice balance between the author's snarkiness and his wonder at all the interesting and wonderful birds he was seeing, but after a while the snark factor took over and I decided not to finish the book.

Books I've been reading

The Other Side of the Island by Allegra Goodman (teen). I've always enjoyed this writer's adult fiction (Intuition is one of my favorite books ever) and this was quite an enjoyable foray into teen literature.   Dreamers of the Day by Mary Doria Russell.  Not a bad read, but certainly more lightweight than I've come to expect from this writer. If you really want to see what she is capable of, read The Sparrow or A Thread of Grace.   Unexpected Blessings: Finding Hope and Healing in the Face of Illness by Roxanne Black (nonfiction) -- A good read for anyone who lives with chronic illness. Black (who suffers from lupus) provides some good perspective and food for thought.   Science Fair by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson (teen) -- a fun read that made me laugh out loud several times. It seemed to drag on a bit long, but maybe that's because I have the attention span of a gnat lately.

Lily Quench and the Dragon of Ashby by Natalie Jane Prior (children's book)

Very cute and enjoyable!

The Brass Verdict by Michael Connelly

Another great thriller from Mr Connelly-- just what I was looking for!

The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent

A grim but interesting tale about a girl growing up during the time of the Salem Witch Trials. Slightly uneven but gripping.... I stayed up till 1:30 am to see how it ended (I couldn't put it down).

Book lineup

Recent reads:   Children of Green Knowe by L. M. Boston.  I enjoyed this kid's book, which I discovered after I'd read the Penderwicks book and was casting around for something similar to read.   Janes in Love by Cecil Castellucci and Jim Rugg (graphic novel for teens) -- sequel to The Plain Janes, very satisfying.   Good As Lily by Derek Kirk Kim and Jesse Hamm (graphic novel for teens) -- got good reviews, interesting premise, but too many words (and too-small print). Am I getting old and crotchety? I hope not. Probably this is just one of the books that I'd do better reading at another time.   Here Lies Arthur by Philip Reeve (kid's book). The tale of young Gwyna, who meets Myrddin (aka Merlin), falls in with Arthur's band and poses as a boy (among other things). I am not finished with this one yet but am quite liking it. I always enjoy Philip Reeve's books.

Flights Against the Sunset by Kenn Kaufman

I loved this book of short essays on birding, interspersed with Kaufman's musings on his relationship with his parents and his visits to his mother's room in the care facility where she is living. (One of my favorite essays was "Hell's Birders," about a gang of Harley-riding hardcore birders.)   I really enjoy Kenn Kaufman's writings about birding (Kingbird Highway was also excellent).

Forever Changes by Brendan Halpin (teen/young adult)

If Brendan Halpin wrote a version of the phone book I would probably read it. Ever since I read his book Donorboy I have really enjoyed all his writing - his fiction as well as his memoirs.   This book is wonderful - about a nineteen-year-old high school senior who has cystic fibrosis and is trying to decide what her life means (and what she should do with the rest of it). Really well done. I highly recommend it.

Half-finished/skimmed books

I haven't found anything in the last couple of days to hold my interest. But here's what I've been skimming and half-finishing:   Mothstorm: The Horror from Beyond Georgium Sidus! by Philip Reeve. The third in the Larklight series (for children). Funny, with great illustrations, but I just wasn't in the mood for it at the time.   Midnight for Charlie Bone by Jenny Nimmo (another kid's book). Have been meaning to read this book for a long time, as it's the first in a pretty popular series for kids. I read enough to know that I would like it, if I was in the right mood. I'll probably go back to it at some point. But at least now I know enough to feel comfortable recommending it to others.   Such a Pretty Fat by Jen Lancaster (adult, memoir).  Well, I'm sorry Heather (who recommended this), I gave it a shot. It definitely had some funny bits but the author's constant snarkiness and negative attitude (about pretty much everything) weren't really doing it for me, so I gave up halfway through. (Hey Heather, have you ever read anything by Laurie Notaro? She writes similar funny stuff about her crazy life but for some reason I don't find her as grating. Or maybe, once again, I just wasn't in the right mood.)